The devastating effects of the pandemic over the past three years have prompted the record industry and artists themselves to seek new ideas to make the relationship between their art and the public more interactive, making pop stars the undisputed stars of domestic screens Is. , whose idol follows every aspect of personal life or trauma it believes in seriously.
In early 2019, some production companies started investing in producing documentaries focused on narrative building of superstars in the privateest and most intimate aspects that fans could really empathize with. The purpose of these documentaries was to reinforce the humanity of the stars of the time, who showed themselves openly during a state of artistic/mental crisis, with the artist himself telling that specific period through a precise musical story, which would consequently represent a new away for the idol.
Given this aspect, it is not surprising that in the past year some television products made by people who have experienced the music industry constantly have focused on analyzing the vision of the artist as well as his toxic fans. is, as in the case of cluster ,cluster) by Donald Glover and Janine Nabors, or the exploitation and sexualization of their aesthetic imagination and the resulting personal trauma (mental illness is sexy), rightly included in the hottest project of the moment, SculptureFrom the mind of Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Sam Levinson (Available on Sky in Italy and streaming on NOW).
Lily-Rose Depp stars as Jocelyn in the series. Photo: HBO
The element that links the two works to each other, particularly in its representation of the toxic mindset that pervades the music industry and the idealization of certain subjects at the mercy of the public, is the way in which the soundtrack represents the center and basis of the narrative. . To create an idol of supreme beauty and musical decoration that is respected.
if for cluster Donald Glover clearly drew inspiration from Beyoncé’s artistic and aesthetic-musical vision, which we also find in the songs, The Weeknd, alongside Mike Dean, the Canadian artist’s producer, as well as 2Pac, Jay-Z and Kanye West (Crisis’s Talking (psychic), constantly disintegrating the figure of Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) before chaining her to the artificial archetype dirty girlBuilding on that most classic musical composition, the industry has always been a carrier of female artists, pushing her towards its most complete artistic representation till then.
The original music, which Tesfaye himself envisioned as a productive flow, releases each volume with a new episode as well as on the eve of the solo EP, follows the narrative arc of an artist engulfed by his fears. has happened, in the commodification of ourselves (Sex Sells), in Los Angeles where record companies look like bloodthirsty predators watching from above their prey spreading candor through their smiles, and in nightclubs The owner is the closest image of Charles Manson 3.0.
From the first sequence onwards, in which the popping of the flash seems to simulate a slap on Jocelyn’s body, during the photographic set for her newly relaunched album, the sonic tension is manifested through a sinuous pad that mimics Jocelyn’s body itself. Insists on solving in one go. The orchestration that seeks to free it from the dark world that brought it to that state, towards a new vision of an idol produced by mass, but that seeks to emerge in relation to its artificial structure. The stars belong to the world.
In the background is Los Angeles that we never fully see, hidden from view by Jocelyn’s mansion and her Family: This is the Los Angeles of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti, Nicolas Winding Riff and Cliff Martinez, the glitz of entertainment in the City of Angels where the darkest and most primitive fears lurk.
Mike Dean’s Saxophone devil’s paradise seems to emulate the sonic nightmares of lost roads Interpreted by Bill Pullman in the jazz musician’s vision, in which the repetition of a plaintive riff expresses the nature of the characters, the madness inherent in each of them where an out-of-tune staccato drags them back to oblivion.
It’s No Coincidence That The Weeknd Mentioned It In An Interview gq One of his main sources of inspiration for the original music of Sculpture it was David Bowie, who was in his station by station, conceived and recorded in Los Angeles, he said he felt lost in this California wilderness, caught in the clutches of flamboyant L.A.’s debauchery and the way icons could be created and destroyed in an instant. This strange mix proved troublesome for Bowie in both senses. They thought their Los Angeles home was haunted. He felt that the devil was in his pond.
The iridescent form of the original soundtrack allows Tesfaye and Mike Dean to create not only a sonic spectrum, in the true sense of the word, of the luxury and haunting Los Angeles showcase in which Jocelyn rediscovers her lost streets, but also an artistic creation. She does too. philosophy of Family by Tedros. The cult of Maurice Costello Jackson aka Tedros, the character played by The Weeknd, a mysterious man who owns a club in Los Angeles, appears to conform to the so-called Family by Charles Manson, where in this case the renegades are not young hippies whose ideals have been lost in a new marketing campaign, but lost artists brought back on track by Tedros himself, motivated to maximize their potential Has gone.
The composition of the songs would idolize Jocelyn and represent a musical high point, both of Creed’s. Sculpture, and give each member of the group their own musical identity that would be the envy of more than half of what the industry produces and stores on streaming platforms. From Targaryen African-American Izak, played by the very good Moses Sumney, The Weeknd’s previous tour lead Susanna Sonn, each with their own text and musical combination. ,This is my family, we don’t like each other very muchThey sing, led by Mike Dean, the producers’ producer, who plays a decidedly “smoky” version of himself.
music represents truth plot twist In the narrative, Jocelyn’s evolution from victim to alleged perpetrator. The Weeknd himself said that “the music really tells the story of the series.” But I want to take it to the next level. I want to challenge myself.”
as analyzed vultures By Laura Martin, assisted by musicologist and leading expert Paula Claire Harper, University of Chicago pop song culturesong composed for SculptureWhile at first glance they may seem anachronistic and almost verbatim intentionally disturbing, they contain the perfect stylistic characteristics to produce a classic pop success that is in complete agreement with what the series seeks to convey regarding the plasticity and artificiality of the industry. Kind of fits in.
taking into account the example Word Class Sinner / I’m a FreakPlayed more than 7.5 million times upon its release, Jocelyn’s post-rehab relaunch track has all the trappings of a standard contemporary pop song, but Harper says that “there are only a few things – and most of them lyrically – which lean towards the idea that it should be a parody of a pop song, a redo of some eminent women artists. There are songs that have more impact, but if I listen to them on the radio or on the backing track of a TV show, it works. Tesfaye and co-writer/producer Asa Taccone’s first musically clever move was inspired by The Weeknd’s catalog.
Harper said the song’s similarity to her 2015 hit can’t feel my face As a cause we may be predisposed to become attached to it. “It actually has exactly the same chord progression, and also the same key.” Harper explains that this makes it interesting to the listener, because “there seems to be a little bit more directionlessness, so you get a more fluid and cohesive space.”
,world class sinner It works on two levels: The tracks are strong enough to work in the pop vein, but the wry sense of humor makes this ideal social media material. looking for i’m a lunatic On TikTok, there are many videos of people recreating the video clip’s choreography – another factor in its instant iconic status – and there are also confessions from people who have suffered from it. That’s the tension at the core of this track: hate the show, love the song, and embrace the fury of it all.” It’s an element we find consistently throughout all of The Weeknd’s singles. Sculpturenot final one of the girlspresent in the last episode of the season, which has already reached the first place in the ranking Board,
Just as the songs seem to give way to the spotlight that illuminates Jocelyn’s idolatrous new image, the symbolism of the cover guides us to certain aspects that Tesfaye himself seeks to discredit, such as John Lennon and Articular “binomial” between. reinterpreted by yoko ono jealous man, as if to suggest provocatively that Yoko Ono merely pushed Lennon toward new artistic inspirations for personal gain, such as Tedros with Jocelyn. An artistic exploitation intended to enrich his image as a patron.
In a series where everything is told and vice versa, amid rumors about an early finale and a possible second season, it is surprising that no one has focused on analyzing the musical and creative aspect on which the The Weeknd is purposely and completely dedicated to moving forward and revolutionizing the way soundtracks for a serialized product are conceived. Is idol music? Are we looking at an artist’s different spirits or his/her resulting musical evolution?
As Laura Martin put it, ‘Whatever you think of Tedros, Tesfaye has achieved a feat of musical perversion in crafting great pop songs into terrifying-sounding tracks. He managed to reach a ready audience, consciously or subconsciously, to connect with this specific kind of pop and, more importantly, to enjoy the excruciating weirdness of it all.